Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The final stop of November's portion of the Little Shepherd VBT is at Coffee and a Keyboard, where Vanessa provides her thoughts on the book. This is what she starts off by saying, "Little Shepherd is an enchanting story!" You can read her entire review at http://vrleavitt.com/?p=936

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Does it seem a bit silly to include your own blog during your virtual book tour?﻿ Probably, but I hate empty spots in a tour. They glare at me every time I glance at my schedule, taunting me to do something about it.

I've now been on tour for 16 days. Book promotion is a tough gig--even when you know what you're doing. This year, I decided to tour for two months instead of three. I'm glad I did, because we had that awful snowstorm at the end of October and I was without power for a week. By tomorrow, I think I'll finally be all caught up.

So, what's different about touring this year versus last?

I'm not checking my Amazon stats. Last year I tracked my stats daily until Christmas. It was fun-especially when Little Shepherdreached their bestsellers list in its category multiple times. It's not that I don't care now, it's just not something I feel is good to focus too much on. I would rather focus on writing.

I reached out to more reviewers that I didn't know. Luckily, the majority of the feedback on the book remains positive. It's tough to ask a totally objective person to review your work, but it's a necessary part of book promotion.

I'm not running huge giveaways. Last year I put together gift baskets to raffle off at the end of my tour. I think smaller prizes at the end of each month instead of two large prizes at the end of the entire tour schedule would have made more sense. I didn't find the giveaways increased the number of comments on my blog stops or greatly influenced readers to purchase the book.

I love book promotion, and I love helping spread the word about great books. I think the sheer number of blogs I run and contribute to can attest to that. I hope you enjoy following me along the tour trail. If you've purchased Little Shepherd, I would love to hear your thoughts. You can always reach me at ccmal(at)charter(dot)net.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

I had the distinct honor of being a special guest on A Book and A Chat tonight. Today was Barry's 400th episode, which is very exciting. I hope you'll listen a bit to our interview--though I keep saying I am going to stop saying, "you know" every time I have one of these and when I listen in afterwards all I pick up is the millions of "you knows."

Friday, November 18, 2011

A few months ago I sent a copy of Little Shepherd to Christian Children's Book Review. They were kind enough to write up a review on November 10th. Here is some of what their reviewer had to say:

"I like the author showing Obed at work. He hears the wolves howl, scans the hills for danger, shivers in the cold, and warms himself by a fire. That sets the mood for the reader. The shepherds show great faith by leaving everything behind and immediately heading to Bethlehem. I also liked the description of the manger scene and Mary and Joseph."

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Today I had the pleasure of having Little Shepherd reviewed by a blogger I met through a networking site. Here's part of what she had to say:

"The Little Shepherd is a sweet Christmas book about Obed, a very young shepherd whose father has just given him a flock of sheep to guard. But Obed's first night guarding sheep is not an ordinary night."

Friday, November 11, 2011

You're probably sick of hearing me using the storm as an excuse lately, but it really messed up my schedule in all kinds of ways. Being without power for a week and having to live somewhere else was not fun.

My good friend, Nicole Langan, founder of Tribute Books, was kind enough to interview me on Thursday at her Tribute Books Reviews and Giveawaysblog, but I totally forgot about it. How bad am I?

My stops for Tuesday and Wednesday had to be rearranged, so here it is Thursday and for a second there I couldn't remember what day it was. It's been hectic here since the power has returned.

I'm visiting the blog today of one of my special online friends, Abi from 4 the Love of Books. She hosted me last year when Little Shepherd came out. She asked me to return this fall for an interview. Talk about dedication, this poor woman is having computer issues at home and has been using whatever computer she can find--her kid's, the library's, etc.--to keep her blog moving along. So, please let her know you appreciate her hard work by stopping by and leaving a comment on our interview at http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com/2011/11/little-shepherd-by-cheryl-malandrinos.html We're running a giveaway for a copy of Little Shepherd, so your comment could get you a FREE copy of the book to put under the tree this year. The drawing will be held the Monday after Thanksgiving, so make sure you stop by right away, before you forget.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Wow! What a week it has been. Our hometown is still without power and so are many areas of Western Mass and Connecticut. Still, the Little Shepherd VBT 2011 goes on.

I felt blessed to read this wonderful review from Laura at Day By Day in Our World. Here is a quick blurb:

"This is the first children’s book by Cheryl C. Malandrinos and she has done a lovely job of taking the Scripture of Christ’s birth and woven a story featuring a young shepherd who bears witness to this pivotal point in history."

Thursday, November 3, 2011

I'm paying a visit to This Little Book of Mine today, where Joy had provided a lovely review of Little Shepherd.﻿

Here's a bit of what she had to say:

"Little Shepherd is an adorable version of the Christmas story written just for children. I love that Cheryl told the story through a small shepherd boy, so even a child can understand what it must have been like on that wonderful special night that Jesus was born. And having the child go with his dad to see the baby Jesus makes this book so very special. And it is simple enough that even my 2 ½ year old niece can understand it."

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

My podcast interview scheduled for Friday, November 4th has been postponed due to continued lack of electricity from the recent snowstorm. I'll let you know when it is rescheduled, as soon as Storyheart and I settle on a new date.

I am still scheduled to appear at Stories from Unknown Authors on Monday, November 7th starting at 1 PM Eastern. Here are the details for that one:

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About Me

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a lifelong resident of Western Mass and an award-winning REALTOR® with Real Living Realty Professionals. Her background in management, financial services, and social media marketing served as an excellent foundation for her real estate career.
Ms. Malandrinos is also a freelance writer, children’s author, editor and blogger. A 2005 graduate of Long Ridge Writers Group, she writes articles about time management and organization. She is the author of Little Shepherd, A Christmas Kindness, Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving, and the upcoming Amos Faces His Bully. She has edited numerous manuscripts in a variety of genres and ghostwritten a Christian chapter book.
Above all, Cheryl is an imperfect Christian wife and mother doing her best and hoping she makes a difference.